Lebanon: Armed man who held hostages in Beirut bank receives widespread public support

After taking hostages in a major bank in Beirut and demanding access to his own funds, an armed man in Lebanon has gained widespread public support and become an unlikely hero. Bassam al-Sheikh Hussein entered the Federal Bank branch around noon on August 11 brandishing a rifle and threatening to douse himself in gasoline if he didn't get access to some of his frozen savings of $210,000.

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He insisted on taking out a portion of those funds to help cover his father's medical expenses. The hostage taker's funds have been off-limits for more than two years, much like nearly all Lebanese. Due to the financial crisis, banks have only permitted nominal withdrawals from depositors each month, which are not enough to cover even the most basic needs.

After the implementation of informal capital controls, news of the siege quickly spread throughout the entire nation, where nearly 80% of the populace is now regarded as living in poverty. Hundreds of thousands of people are being held hostage by a staggering economic collapse that has crippled Lebanon and may have destroyed billions of dollars in savings. Images of a defiant figure holding a bank hostage struck a chord with them.

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'Desperate people do desperate things'

Since early 2020, the salaries of the soldiers and police who gathered near the bank to watch the siege end have been cut more than 20 times, with many now making the equivalent of $70 per month. Even though the daring act effectively shut down much of Beirut's Hamra district, onlookers expressed their support for it.

The Guardian quoted a local, Ghassan Moula, as saying, "He’s not even a real robber. He’s only asking for what is his. Our dear leaders sent all their billions to Swiss banks with the help of the central bank, and we’re all left to suffer. All of Lebanon wants to do this."

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Another bystander stated, "No one will say he did the wrong thing. Desperate people do desperate things. We are all like him, even the soldiers and the riot police liked him."

However, by evening, it seemed that the shooter's approach had paid off, as the bank gave him $30,000 after initially offering him only $10,000. He allowed a nearby restaurant to deliver food to the bank's door so that his hostages could be fed as night fell. Soon after, he turned himself in to police.

(Image: AP)